Dalian Yingbo Win Chinese Super League Title as Chengdu Rongcheng Slip on Final Day
Dalian Yingbo are the Chinese Super League champions, after their closest rivals Chengdu Rongcheng lost on the last day of the season. The Chinese Super League is China's top men's football division, and the title was decided by a tiebreak rather than by the final scoreline alone.
Both clubs finished on 52 points, the total teams earn from wins and draws across the season. Dalian took the title on head-to-head record, which is the results between the two teams when they played each other. They had beaten Chengdu twice this season, and one of those wins came in the penultimate round, the second-to-last set of matches.
On the final day, Chengdu lost 3-2 to Shandong Taishan in Jinan. Dalian beat Tianjin Tiger 3-1 at Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium, in front of their own supporters. The Guardian reported the result, with Chengdu coached by John Aloisi and Dalian managed by Li Guozu.
The turnaround is the part that will be talked about for a long time. Chengdu had at one stage held a 12-point lead over Dalian. By 4 November, that cushion had been cut to three points, with the final weekend of matches still to play. Chengdu then lost their last four games in a row and collected one point from their final five. Dalian won their last five matches in succession, and that run carried them past their rivals.
Dalian had some recent form in this fight too. Last year, Shanghai Port retained the title by beating Dalian 1-0 in November 2025, so Dalian had been close before without getting over the line.
For neutral fans, the lesson of the day is simple. A lead in a league table is only safe when the points are in the bag. Chengdu's supporters watched a title slip through a run of games, while Dalian's supporters got to celebrate in their own stadium, a long way from the result that had seemed most likely a few weeks earlier.
Chengdu's season ends with a painful loss and a trophy they once looked set to lift. Dalian's season ends with a title won on the final day, after five straight wins. Both clubs have plenty to chew on, but the final table is clear: Dalian are champions.
